Planning a Gift
If you're reading this, it's probably because you want to leave the world a better place, to give something back to communities and families in the region for generations to come. There are many ways you can leave a legacy of caring for the people, fish, and wildlife that depend on the Great Lakes (please see some options below). The Alliance for the Great Lakes will work with you to find ways you can have a lasting impact on children's health, water quality, and special places. Aside from knowing you're doing your part to help, many of these giving options also provide tax benefits, reduced legal expenses, and other personal benefits. For more information, please look at the following giving options, download our Legacy Giving brochure, or contact us directly at: Alliance for the Great Lakes Individual Philanthropy Department
17 N. State Street, Suite 1390
Chicago, IL 60602
p 312-939-0838, ext. 229
f 312-939-2708 Carolyn Scholz: cscholz@greatlakes.org Sample Bequest Language
To the Alliance for the Great Lakes, an Illinois corporation headquartered in Chicago, I hereby give ____________ (state either a specific dollar amount or a percentage of remainder) for use in fulfillment of its mission, including education, volunteering, and policy work on beach health, clean water, water conservation or where the Board determines the greatest need. Giving Securities Giving securities, such as stocks, mutual funds, certificates of deposit (CDs), and bonds is as easy as having your broker or investment adviser contact us. Some rules apply for you to receive tax benefits. For example, you must have owned stock for at least 366 consecutive days. If the security is appreciated, you are then eligible for certain levels of deductions of your adjusted gross income per year. For gifts above the annual deduction level, you can often carry over the excess for a certain number of years. Complying with these simple rules can help give you advantageous tax breaks. Insurance You can harness insurance as a powerful tool in the effort to protect the lake in a number of ways. You can name the Alliance for the Great Lakes as the beneficiary of all or part of your insurance policy. You can also designate family members as the primary beneficiary of your insurance proceeds, and the Alliance as secondary beneficiary, should those family members pass away before you. Another option is simply to donate a paid-up insurance policy to the Alliance, whose cash value may be used for important lake conservation work. Protecting the lake in this way may provide you or your estate with certain tax breaks. For more information contact us. Lifetime Income Gifts Certain kinds of gifts can be given to the Alliance during your lifetime to give you or loved ones an income. To do this, you make an irrevocable gift of money (including bank accounts, certificates of deposit, securities, and mutual funds, for example), real estate, or personal property. The Alliance or its agent manages your gift (including reinvestment or sale as appropriate) in a separate account, giving you a fixed percentage of income payable at certain times (e.g., quarterly). After your lifetime, your loved one's lifetime, or a pre-designated number of years, your gift passes to the Alliance for the Great Lakes to support its work to sustain health and life in the region. Contact us for more information.
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